University of North Texas Fall 2016

MRTS 4240.001: The Films of Alfred HITCHCOCK

Thursdays 9.30-1.50 pm, RTVF Room 184.

Instructor: Dr. G.S. Larke-Walsh, Office RTFP 272a.

email:

Office Hours: Weds 1.30-2.00pm Thursday 2-2.30pm and by appointment.

Teaching Assistant: Andrew Valentine

Contact:

Alfred Hitchcock is one of the best-known and most discussed of all filmmakers. This course will consider some of the reasons for his importance, and thus will involve detailed analyses of specific Hitchcock films. The course will also provide an introduction to the various debates about authorship, genre, psychoanalysis and film which have been staged in relation to Hitchcock's work.

Course Objectives:

To encourage students to critically assess the academic writings that surround Hitchcock and his films.

To provide an awareness of various approaches to film study and the impact this has on film/auteur value judgments

To encourage students to consider multiple ways of addressing Hitchcock’s work

Required Reading:

Wood, Robin, Hitchcock's Films Revisited, Faber, 1989, 2002

(I use the 2002 version. The differences are minimal, but please try and get the later edition).

The above book is an accessible introduction to Hitchcock and related film theory. However, it is by a single author, so while it is the main text I will be supplementing the reading with articles from differing perspectives.

Further Required Reading (on reserve in the library)

Modleski, Tania The Women Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock and Feminist Theory NY,

Routledge, 1988. (Chapters of this book will be used in class)

Deutelbaum, Marshall & Poague, Leland A Hitchcock Reader(2nd ed.) Iowa State

UniversityPress (2009) (Chapters from this book will be used in class – and again

please note the 2nd edition has different chapters to the 1st edition).

Recommended Reading: There is a lot of reading available. I’ve NOT put any but the Centenary Essays on reserve.

Allen, Richard & Ishii-Gonzales, S. (eds) Alfred Hitchcock: Centenary Essays British

Film Institute Publishing, 1999 (on reserve)

Allen, Richard & Ishii-Gonzales, S. (eds) Alfred Hitchcock: Past and FutureN.Y.

Routledge, 2004

Boyd, David (ed.) Perspectives on Alfred Hitchcock NY, Simon & Schuster, 1995

Gottlieb, Sidney (ed) Hitchcock on Hitchcock: Selected Writings and Interviews

Berkley, University of California Press, 1995

Truffaut, Francois, Hitchcock, Simon and Schuster, 1967

Biography (not a reliable source in my opinion)

Spoto, Donald The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock NY, Da Capo

Press, 1983

Your required work for this class includes:

One midterm examination (in class)30%

One final examination (in class)35%

Four600 word written assignments35%

Students expecting to do well in this class should read the assigned materials, attend and take notes on all components of the class, including discussions and screenings. You do not need to notify me if you miss class, but it is up to you to get the lecture notes from another student, and/or view the assigned film(s), (most of which will be available at the Chilton Media Center within a day or so after the class meeting). I can almost guarantee you will fail this class if you skip the assigned readings and/or continue to miss lectures and screenings.

In line with other classes in the Department, we will now be taking attendance at the beginning of class and at the end. The attendance sheet will not be available for you to sign if you arrive after class begins. More than 3 unexcused absences, or late arrivals in the semester will incur a 3 point penalty on your overall grade.

Exams will be based on lectures, screenings, readings, and discussions. The final will not be cumulative. The Written Assignmentswill be mini-research papers on related topics (600 words each). Details will follow in a separate hand-out. Late papers will incur a 10 point penalty for every day they are late. Papers will not be accepted after the fifth day beyond the assignment due date. Your Final Grade will thus be based upon two in-class examinations and four written assignments. You must complete each of these components in order to pass the class. Any form of academic dishonesty will result in an F for this course.

The Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness (SETE) is a requirement for all organized classes at UNT. This short survey will be made available to you at the end of the semester, providing you a chance to comment on how this class is taught. I am very interested in the feedback I get from students, as I work to continually improve my teaching. I consider the SETE to be an important part of your participation in this class.

The SETE will remain open through the week of finals.

NOTE: “The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at . You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.”
BREAKDOWN BY WEEKS AND CLASS MEETINGS

Week One

Sep 1st: Introduction to the Course: Screening: Murder! (1930) 92 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Rothman, W “Alfred Hitchcock’s Murder!: Theater, Authorship, and the Presence of the Camera” in Hitchcock Reader (2nd Edition) pp.96-106

See also (highly recommended) Exceprt from Rothman, W “Murder!” in Hitchcock: The Murderous Gaze Harvard Uni Press, 1982. Pp.73-80 (pdf on blackboard)

Week Two

Sep 8th: Blackmail (1929) 84 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Wood, R. Chapter 12: “Symmetry, Closure, Disruption: The Ambiguity of Blackmail” pp.249-274

Modleski, T “Rape vs Mans/laughter” in The Women Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock and Feminist Theory pp.17-30

Poague, L “Criticism and/as History: Rereading Blackmail” in Hitchcock Reader (2nd Edition) pp.85-95

Secondary Viewing: The Pleasure Garden (1925) The Lodger (1927) Easy Virtue (1928)

Murder! (1930)

Week Three

Sep 15th: The 39 Steps (1935) 86 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Wood, Chapter 13: “Norms and Variations: The 39 Steps and Young and Innocent” pp.275-287.

Silet, C “Through a Woman’s Eyes: Sexuality and Memory in The 39 Steps” in Hitchcock Reader (2nd Edition) pp.114-125

See also (highly recommended)

Miller, T “39 Steps to ‘The Borders of the Possible’: Alfred Hitchcock Amateur Observer and the New Cultural History” in Centenary Essays pp.317-331

Secondary Viewing: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), Secret Agent (1936), Sabotage (1936), Young and Innocent (1937), The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Week Four

Sep 22nd: Rebecca (1940) 130 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Modleski, T “Woman and the Labyrinth: Rebecca” in The Women Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock and Feminist Theory” (1988)

Secondary Viewing: Mr and Mrs Smith (1941), Suspicion (1941), plus, American wartime films such as Foreign Correspondent (1940), Saboteur (1942), Lifeboat (1944).

**FIRST PAPER DUE BY MIDNIGHT FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23rd

Week Five

Sep 29th: Shadow of a Doubt (1943) 108 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Wood, Chapter 14: “Ideology, Genre, Auteur: Shadow of a Doubt” pp.288-302.

McLaughlin, J “All in the Family: Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt” in Hitchcock Reader (2nd Edition) pp.145-155

See also (highly recommended)

Naremore, J “Hitchcock at the Margins of Noir” in Centenary Essays pp.263-278

Secondary Viewing: Non-Hitchcock films, such as It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), or Meet Me in St Louis (1944)

Week Six

Oct 6th: Notorious (1946) 101 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Wood, Chapter 15: “Star and Auteur: Hitchcock’s films with Bergman” pp.303-335.

Modleski, T “The Woman Who Was Known Too Much” in The Women Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock and Feminist Theory

See also (highly recommended)

Renov, M “From Identification to Ideology: The Male System of Notorious” in Boyd, D (ed) Perspectives on Hitchcock (pdf on blackboard)

Secondary Viewing: Spellbound (1945), The Paradine Case (1947),

Week Seven

Oct 13th:MID TERM EXAM

**SECOND PAPER DUE BY MIDNIGHT FRIDAY OCTOBER 14th

Week Eight

Oct 20th: Rear Window (1954) 112 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Wood, Chapter 3 “Rear Window” pp.100-107 & Chapter 18 “Male Desire, Male Anxiety: The Essential Hitchcock” p.371-387.

Modleski, T “The Master’s Dollhouse” in The Women Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock and Feminist Theory

Stam & Pearson “Hitchcock’s Rear Window: Reflexivity and the Critique of Voyeurism” in Hitchcock Reader (2nd Edition) pp.199-211

Recommended Viewing: North By Northwest (1959), Dial M For Murder (1953)

Week Nine

Oct 27th: Strangers on a Train (1951) 101 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Wood, Chapter 2: “Strangers on a Train” pp.86-99.

See also (highly recommended)

Knight, D & McKnight, G “Suspense and its Master” in Centenary Essays pp.107-122

Secondary viewing: Rope (1948), Spellbound (1945), The Wrong Man (1956)

Week Ten

Nov 3rd: Vertigo (1958) 128 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Wood, Chapter 4: “Vertigo” pp.108-130.

Modleski, T “Femininity By Design” in The Women Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock and Feminist Theory pp.87-100

Keane, M “A Closer Look at Scopophilia: Mulvey, Hitchcock and Vertigo” in Hitchcock Reader (2nd Edition) pp.234-249

See also (highly recommended)

White, S “Vertigo and Problems of Knowledge in Feminist Film Theory” in Centenary Essays pp.279-298

Secondary Viewing: Under Capricorn (1949) Stage Fright (1950), To Catch a Thief (1955)

Week Eleven

Nov 10th: Psycho (1960) 109 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Wood, Chapter 6: “Psycho” pp.142-151

“Hitchcock and Film Theory: A Psycho Dossier” 3 Chapters in Hitchcock Reader(2nd Edition) pp.327-376

Secondary Viewing: Strangers on a Train (1951), Frenzy (1972)

**THIRD PAPER DUE BY MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11th

Week Twelve

Nov 17th: The Birds (1963)119 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Wood, Chapter 7: “The Birds” pp.152-172.

McCombe, J.P. “Oh, I See….”: The Birds and the Culmination of Hitchcock’s Hyper-Romantic Vision” in Hitchcock Reader (2nd Edition) pp.264-279

See also, (highly recommended)

Horwitz, M “The Birds: A Mother’s Love” in Hitchcock Reader (only available in the1st Edition) pp.279-287 (pdf on blackboard)

Week Thirteen

Dec 1st: Marnie (1964) 130 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Wood, Chapter 8: “Marnie” pp.173-197 and “You Freud, Me Hitchcock” in 2002 edition only pp.372-388.

Piso, M “Mark’s Marnie” in Hitchcock Reader(2nd Edition) pp.280-294

See also (highly recommended)

McElhaney, J. “Touching the Surface: Marnie, Melodrama, Modernism” in Centenary Essays pp.87-106

**FOURTH PAPER DUE BY MIDNIGHT FRIDAY DECEMBER 2nd

Week Fourteen

Dec 8th: Review & Screening: Frenzy (1972) 116 mins

REQUIRED READING:

Modleski, “Rituals of defilement: Frenzy” pp.101-114 (reprinted in Hitchcock Reader 2nd Edition pp.312-326)

See also (highly recommended)

Lowenstein, A “The Master, The Maniac, and Frenzy” in Hitchcock: Past and Future, pp.179-192 (pdf on blackboard)

EXAM WEEK: Final Exam

APPENDIX: Screening Notes for RTVF 4240.001/5240.001

These notes should form the basis for you tote taking during screenings and may also be used in seminar discussions. Make sure you bring them with you to every seminar.

Murder!

This film is interesting because of its references to the theatre and staging. Hitchcock attempted to show both the similarities and differences between theatre productions and film.

Look at the camerawork and mise en scene of this film. What is it saying about crime, life and/ or theatre?

What is the significance of dressing/undressing?

How do the interior monologues affect our understanding of the characters motivations?

Blackmail

Blackmail was Hitchcock’s first sound film (as well as being the first sound feature film to be produced in Britain). It is best known for its inventive use of sound and for its setting up of many of the themes and ideas which reappear in late Hitchcock films. More recently, feminist critics have considered it in terms of its representation of gender and sexual violence.

What is the film’s attitude to the police (and in particular Frank, the policeman-hero)?

What role is played by laughter in the film? Who laughs? Why? At who?

Is Class a significant factor in Blackmail? Are the film’s characters identified in class terms?

What are we supposed to make of the film’s conclusion? Does it satisfactorily resolve the troubles and tensions of the narrative? Is it a happy ending?

The 39 Steps

The 39 Steps was one of a series of highly successful thrillers made by Hitchcock in Britain during the 1930s. (Others included The Lady Vanishes, Sabotage, Young and Innocent, The Secret Agent and the 1934 version of The Man who Knew Too Much.) Based on John Buchan’s popular classic, The 39 Steps contains a number of elements which would come to be thought of as characteristically Hitchcockian – namely the couple on the run, the compromised hero and the importance of performance.

You should consider the following:

Richard Hannay: What sort of hero is Hannay? Is he wholly admirable or does the film in any way criticize either him or his actions? What are his motivations throughout the film?

Romance: Consider the relationship between hero and heroine. Is it ‘romantic’ in any conventional sense?

Rebecca

Rebecca was Hitchcock’s first American film and marked a significant departure from his earlier work. It was also his first film with David O. Selznick, the independent producer who brought Hitchcock to Hollywood. The film deals with a young woman haunted by the ‘ghost’ of her husband’s first wife.

Some critics have claimed that Rebecca follows the development of the female oedipal trajectory. What do you understand this to mean and can you identify the elements in the film to support this argument? You will need to read Modleski’s chapter on Rebecca.

Shadow of a Doubt

Hitchcock claims this as his favorite of his own films. It explores the hidden secrets and desires within an ordinary suburban family. It is in fact, less adventurous than other films, but is no less melodramatic.

How is the family (and small town life in general) valued in Shadow of a Doubt?

Is the film at all ambivalent about the family?

What settings and techniques are used to characterize the family?

What is the significance of notions of the double and duality in the film?

Notorious

Authorship: Francois Truffaut called Notorious the ‘quintessential’ Hitchcock film. Why? Does thinking about it on terms of authorship help us understand it better or get more out of it?

Heroine: Can one say that Alicia’s notoriety – which is clearly connected with her independence – is the real ‘problem’ (as opposed to the problem posed by the Nazis) that the film’s narrative has to work through and resolve? (Think here of the way in which she is first introduced to us.)

Hero: Andrew Britton has described Devlin (Cary Grant) as the most unpleasant hero in American cinema. Do you agree with this? How are we first introduced to Devlin and what does this introduction tell us about his character? What are we supposed to make of him and his actions generally?

Identification: With whom are we meant to identify in the film? What does ‘identification’ mean in this context (and how is it secured)?

Drinking: What is the significance of the repeated references to drinking, bottles and glasses in Notorious?

Rear Window

Point of view/Voyeurism: Hitchcock is well known for the extensive use his films make of point of view techniques. Consider what the functions might be of point of view in Rear Window.

To what extent does point of view influence the ways in which we relate to the various characters in the film?

Does the point of view of any one character predominate?

Are there other points of view available?

Is Rear Window a moralistic movie warning about the dangers of voyeurism and being a peeping Tom?

Strangers on a Train

This film focuses on issues of fate versus the cause-effect consequences of individual actions. It is also an interesting representation of obsession, or mental illness.

Observe how suspense is produced in this film. Whose side are we on? How is this maintained?

What is the film saying about ‘control’? Who has it and how is it sent spinning?

Vertigo

Vertigo is considered by many to be Hitchcock’s masterpiece and is certainly the most personal of all his films revealing a troubling look at humanity and romantic love. Although the film begins as a detective story it quickly descends into a world of madness and deceit. Like Rebecca, Vertigo is essentially a ghost story.

What exactly is going on in the relation between Scottie and Judy/Madeleine?

What motivates Scottie in his obsessions?

Are we given enough information to gain any insight into Judy’s reasons for acting in the way that she does?

Psycho

Psycho has often been seen as marking a transition in Hitchcock’s work from his ‘classical’ period – which included such films as Rear Window, Vertigo, and North by Northwest – to his more experimental and difficult ‘late’ period. It is the last Hitchcock film for which there is anything like a critical consensus as to its importance.

Hitchcock’s authorship: Identify the elements – formal and thematic – which mark Psycho as a Hitchcock film.

How important are these elements to our understanding and/or enjoyment of the movie?

The Birds

Why do the birds attack?

How is the world of normality presented in the film? Is the film at all critical of social norms (and what is its attitude towards the law)? Think here in particular of the distinctions made between San Francisco and Bodega Bay. How does the presentation of San Francisco inThe Birds and Vertigocompare to Hitchcock’s presentation of the small town with Shadow of a Doubt.

The dialogue in The Birds is peppered with the comments ‘I see’ and ‘ Look’ (with most of these added, apparently, by Hitchcock himself). Identify where these occur and consider their significance.

Marnie

Marnie was not well received on its release. Many found the artificiality of some of its scenes ridiculous. Plus, the obvious pop-psychology in much of the narrative is hard to take seriously. However, it can easily be argued that the artificiality is there for a specific reason, as is the psychology. It is best to focus on the notions of gender performance and social conditioning when watching this film and then hopefully its intentions will become clear

.

What is Marnie’s problem?

How convincing is the narrative explanation for her actions?

Are there any other possible explanations?

Is Marnie ‘cured’ at the close of the film?